It’s go time! As planting pushes ahead under wildly variable spring conditions, Wheat Pete is back with a reminder that May stress is real—and so are the agronomy challenges.
In this episode of Wheat Pete’s Word, your host Peter Johnson highlights the importance of mental health check-ins, digs into soil fertility puzzles, and shares fascinating insights from both Ontario fields and European research.
Have a question you’d like Wheat Pete to address or some field results to send in? Agree/disagree with something he’s said? Leave him a message at 1-888-746-3311, send him a tweet (@wheatpete), or email him at [email protected].
SUMMARY
- Mental health reminder: May stress is high—call a friend, even from the tractor seat
- Planting window advice: Don’t panic if you missed April—mid-May is still in the high yield zone. Planting/seeding conditions matter more than the date right now
- Wheat Pete’s golden rule: “If it’s fit, give ’er sh*t” remains the 2025 planting mantra
- Rainfall extremes: Some areas saw 25 mm, others only a trace—check your soil, not Twitter
- Northern Europe alert: Drought advancing quickly, especially concerning after wet years
- Fusarium (scab) risk high in U.S.: From Texas to Indiana, maps are lit up—timing is key
- Epigenetics breakthrough: UK research shows 12 per cent wheat yield boost via sugar signaling
- Burndown reminders: No Eragon before edible beans; dandelions and fleabane need serious control
- 28% UAN burn milder this year: Suggests thick wheat cuticles—adjust weed control accordingly
- Fall weed control shines: Wheat with autumn programs shows fewer weeds and stronger stands
- Dandelion takeover: In some untreated fields, it’s so thick it looks like canola—25 bu/acre loss possible
- Canada goose damage: Repeated clipping delays maturity, reduces yield, and can kill wheat stands
- Red clover looks great: A rare upside in winter wheat fields this spring
- Soil vs. tissue test puzzle: High soil P, low tissue P? Cold temps reduce phosphorus availability
- Potash more available: Thanks to mass flow, uptake improves under wet conditions
- Rain cures nitrogen striping: Late-April rains resolved early deficiency in Lambton County wheat
- Sprayer malfunction lesson: Missed N showed how precisely roots block lateral movement—watch your boom (see photo)
- Triticale forage fertility: 100 lb DAP + 150 lb urea + 10 lb sulphur hits the sweet spot
- Corn phosphorus tip: Don’t rely on broadcast P—use in-furrow starter
- Fungicides on forage: 21-day pre-harvest interval key for any hay or alfalfa application
- Powdery mildew scouting: Target highly susceptible varieties only—most wheat remains clean
- Annual bluegrass trouble: Glyphosate resistance complicates control—dim chemistries may outperform fops
- Sulphur form matters: Without rain, ammonium thiosulphate outperformed sulphate in early spring uptake
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